AIRTO is delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Jamieson as Chair Elect of AIRTO to succeed Paul Howarth FREng in 2022.

Paul Howarth, who has served on the AIRTO Board since 2014, and as Chair since 2017 is the Chief Executive Officer of the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), will be handing the Chair of AIRTO to Andrew Jamieson in the first quarter of 2022.

Dr Paul Howarth FREng               Andrew Jamieson

Paul is well known in government as well as across the wider innovation sector and will continue to be involved in AIRTO as a member, having given superb leadership to the AIRTO Board during a time when it saw the implementation of a new management contract with the Net Zero Technology Centre transitioning from management by NPL, as well as moving its operations online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commenting on his time as Chair, Paul said, “This has been a very exciting time, with the government announcing record spending levels for Science and Innovation in 2020 and unveiling its fresh innovation strategy in 2021! It has been a privilege to serve AIRTO and work with the Board and our members to represent the thriving and vibrant Innovation, Research & Technology sector with government and I am delighted Andrew is going to take on the role going forwards”.

Andrew is Chief Executive of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, a UK wide technology and innovation centre supporting businesses to accelerate the design, deployment and commercialisation of offshore renewable energy – wind, wave and tidal power. He was previously at ScottishPower where he was latterly responsible for energy policy and regulation in the renewables business.

Andrew sits on the Scottish Government’s Energy Advisory Board, is a past Chair of RenewableUK and Scottish Renewables and has led a number of reports for government, including the Cost Reduction Task Force for Offshore Wind in 2012. In 2019/2020 he was Chair of the Catapult Network, speaking on behalf of all the UK’s Catapults in stakeholder forums. Andrew has sat on the AIRTO Board as a Member Director since 2020. He has also been recently appointed to the Board of the Energy Transition Zone in Aberdeen.

Commenting on his appointment, Andrew said “This is an exciting time for the UK as it advances towards its goal of being a global Science and Technology Superpower. I am very much looking forward to working with colleagues on the Board and across the AIRTO membership to make the voice of our sector heard in the context of the new Innovation Strategy!”